Abstract Given the increased awareness of the importance of host communities
and environmental responsibility in tourism, community-based tourism (CBT) has
gained popularity in the tourism literature as a strategy for environmental
conservation and community development. Particularly, CBT is promoted for
community empowerment by tourism planners, researchers and practitioners alike.
Drawing on a case study of the Chobe Enclave Conservation Trust (CECT) in
Botswana, this chapter demonstrates that the adoption of CBT under the rubric of
community- based natural resource management (CBNRM) may not always bring
the desired outcomes. More specifi cally, the study demonstrates that operational,
structural and cultural limits impede community participation in CBT development
projects. These fi ndings suggest that limited performance of CBT and conservation
endeavors may be explained by the lack of consideration and incorporation of such
limits in CBRNM initiatives. Nevertheless, while CECT may be perceived as having
attained limited community empowerment success, the case study offers a positive
example of how the government’s approach to natural resource management is
evolving. The chapter is organized into three parts. First, an overview of the
discourse around CBT is presented, highlighting the importance of community
empowerment in CBT. Second, drawing on the case of Botswana, CBT’s
organizational structure is discussed in terms of actors, roles and interests. Finally,
the outcomes and effects of CBT are highlighted.